Rattled by the death of 22-month-old Seamus
DuBarry in a busy North Portland intersection, people keep asking me how
it could have been prevented. They want a tiny diamond of advice.

All I say is, “There by the grace of God go I, my children and my neighbors.”

Call it a cop out, cliche, sappy. But it fits.

We all know the boy from a vacation photo.

Under
a big, cloudy sky at a Montana lake, Seamus’ wild blond curls were
probably the closest thing to sunshine that day. Judging from his rolled
up toddler jeans, it was a long, good day.

We also know how Seamus died last Monday.

Portland
police Traffic Division Capt. Todd Wyatt says he’s the city’s most
paranoid parent when it comes to crossing a street with his kids.

“I’ve been thinking about this crash,” Wyatt said, “and I don’t know how I could have avoided it.”

Seamus
was riding in his stroller, being pushed by his father, Eric, in a
Lombard Street crosswalk. The signal said walk. A white Mitsubishi
Diamante turning right through a green light from Interstate Avenue hit
them from behind.

Police say the car’s 75-year-old driver
accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. Photos show the stroller
crumpled like cardboard.

Celtic soulman Van
Morrison likes to serenade the colors and the cool of this time of year.
He sings: “Take a walk when autumn comes to town.”

Portlanders
follow that song. In fact, 6 percent of residents who filled out this
year’s annual livability survey marked walking as their primary commute
to work, according to the city auditor’s office.

But when autumn
comes, I usually find myself writing about a pedestrian death, and
dishing the same advice. Motorists: Every corner is a crosswalk.
Walkers: Don’t wear black and give drivers enough time to stop before
trying to cross.

But why stop there?

Kristi Jonasson-James of
Tualatin follows the “wipers=headlights” rule. If the weather’s gloomy
enough to require windshield wipers, she also turns on her lights to be
seen by pedestrians. (Resist the urge to buy those cheap windshield
wipers).

A reader from the West Hills called to say she was taught
to walk against traffic on roads without sidewalks. Yep, that’s Oregon
law.

Portland attorney Mark Ginsberg had some. Every year, when he
sets his clock back an hour, he cleans the grime from inside his car’s
windshield.

“How many drivers say, ‘I never saw the pedestrian’?” Ginsberg said. “But believe me, it takes more than one paper towel.”

I’m
tempted to put a fake crosswalk where my daughter and wife were nearly
hit this year. But that’s not exactly legal – or original.

Instead, I’m going to call 503-823-SAFE to say
something about the intersection two blocks from my North Portland house. For too long,
a small jungle of bushes makes it hard for motorists to see oncoming
pedestrians and traffic.

City officials say overgrown vegetation
and dim lighting are among the biggest safety hazards in Portland’s
37,000 intersections.

Don’t wait for someone else to report a problem. Maybe that’s my best answer to this tragedy.